Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal has announced that his state has ended its Medicaid contract with Planned Parenthood, all in response to the doctored videos disseminated by the anti-abortion group Center for Medical Progress.
“In recent weeks, it has been shocking to see reports of the alleged activities taking place at Planned Parenthood facilities across the country,” Jindal said in a statement. “Planned Parenthood does not represent the values of the people of Louisiana and shows a fundamental disrespect for human life. It has become clear that this is not an organization that is worthy of receiving public assistance from the state.”
The only two Planned Parenthood clinics in Jindal’s state of Louisiana do not provide abortion services, according to information provided by the non-profit in response to the state’s ongoing investigation into claims that the organization is profiting off of aborted fetal tissue donations.
A third clinic being built in New Orleans will offer abortion, but will not participate in the tissue donation programs.
From Talking Points Memo:
Jindal’s termination of Medicaid funding also comes as the U.S. Senate weighs its own measure to cease federal funding to Planned Parenthood over the videos that an anti-abortion group going by Center for Medical Progress began releasing last month. The standalone Senate measure is unlikely to overcome a Democratic filibuster expected Monday evening, but conservatives are already pushing that it be attached to a larger, must-pass spending bill lawmakers will consider when they return from the August recess.
Featured image: Alex Wong/Getty
Leave a Reply